Gravity projector



y 1947- F. .1. SULLIVAN 2,420,760

GRAVITY PROJECTOR Filed July 24, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

Ti .1. FRANcEsJ- SULLiVAN ATTORNEY Patented May 20, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAVITY PROJECTOR Frances J. Sullivan, Los Angeles, Calif. Application July 24, 1944, Serial No. 546,316

3 Claims. 1 The present invention relates to improvements in toys, and its principal object is to provide a toy for young children that is attractive in appearance, interesting to play with, taxes the childs ingenuity in hitting a target, challenges its ability to keep score, and offers many possibilities for play for a child alone or in competition with others.

More particularly it is proposed to provide a\,

chute and a target in spaced relation allowing a child to direct a roller down the chute toward the target.

Another object of my invention is to arrange the chute in the form of an inclined tube and the roller in the form of a disc, the tube and the disc being cooperable, due to the angularity of the tube and the shape and weight of the disc, to usually discharge the disc from the lower end of the tube in rolling position regardless of" the position in which the roller is fed into the upper end of the tube.

It is further proposed to arrange the target in the form of a series of stables positioned transversely to the tube, the stables having limited openings to receive the disc and being marked to represent different score values.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my toy will be fully defined in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this application in which:

Figure 1 shows an assembly view of my invention in side elevation;

Figure 2, a rear view of the chute and its support, looking at it from the target;

Figure 3, a front view of the target;

Figure 4, a side view of the chute used in my invention;

Figure 5, a side elevation of a roller used in my invention.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention I wish to'have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my invention comprises in its principal features, a chute 5 with supporting means, a target I and a roller 8.

The chute 6 may be of any suitable form but is preferably made in the form of an elongated tube of cardboard or similar light-weight material, possibly about two inches in diameter and about twenty inches in length.

The tube is supported in inclined position on two spaced standards 9 rising from opposite ends of a base H1. The two standards are preferably made of boards of different lengths, suitably contoured to present an attractive appearance, and formed with holes I I of a size somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the tube so as to allow the tube to be easily introduced in slanting position and to be held .in operative position by means of small cleats l 2.

The steepness of incline of the tube is of some importance and should be about 35 to the horizontal plane so as to produce the desired efiect on the roller 8 as it passes through the tube.

The roller 8 is preferably made in the form of a disc of a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the tube, say about one and one-half inches, of considerable thickness, possibly about three-eighths of an inch, and of relatively light material, say wood or plastic.

While these dimensions and the weight of the disc and the angle of the tube are not necessarily critical, they have been found satisfactory to accomplish the desired result, namely to cause the roller to tumble and gyrate through the tube, when inserted from above, so as to usually discharge from the lower end upon the floor indicated at I 3 in rolling position, regardless of the position in which it is inserted.

This phenomenon, which I have observed by frequent observations and tests in connection with a full-sized model, may be explained as follows:

With the dimensions given, when the disc is inserted at the upper end of the tube flatwise, its upper surface will be somewhat below the median plane of the 'tube. As it begins to slide downward the air in the tube will offer a certain amount of resistance to the front edge. The air bearing on the upper portion of the edge can easily escape through the upper half of the tube. But the air bearing on the lower portion of the front edge has only a limited area of escape below the disc and will tend to depress the lower edge, causing the disc to tumble.

Now if all conditions were perfectly balanced the disc might continue to tumble. But this will rarely happen and in practically every case the disc will, sooner or later, veer to one side or the other. If it veers to the right, for instance, the air pressure and the contact area will increase on the right side, causing the right side to lag and causing the disc to turn on its vertical axis,

toward a rolling position. This tendency will be aided by the force of gravity, since the disc will naturally seek the lowest position in the tube and since the rolling position is much lower in the tube than the fiatwise position.

Once the rolling position is obtained, the speed of the roller will increase, and the roller will naturally retain its rolling position.

The lower end of the tube is preferably spaced above the floor about five inches, and the upper end about sixteen'inc'hes.

The base I rests on the floor or on any other suitable surface and is freely movable thereover.

The target 1' is also supported on the floor, preferably on a level with the base 1 0 of the chute and a few feet therefrom. The distance,

of course, is optional and controls the hazard involved in hitting the target, since the roller usually follows first a substantially straight course in line with the tube and later tends to curve away from the straight course in one direction or another.

The target is made in the form :ofan elongated rectangular box freely movable over the floor surface and preferably arranged at a right angle to the direction-of the tube.

siderable width and present hazard preventing the roller from entering the stables.

playing, the children may develop their own rules. A plurality of rollers may be -provided, preferably in different colors, for the different participants. The stables my score according to their number, stable '1, one point;

stable 2, two points, and so on. The children may count and compare their scores after a number of rollers have been: operated by .each, or

when the first has reached a predetermined 1 score.

But competition is not necessary for enjoying the game. A child may play by itself and derive a great deal of pleasure, mental stimulus and healthful exercise from arranging and rear-ranging the target, directing the tube in the proper position, watchingthe disc tumble through the tube and hit the 'fio'or in rolling position and finally seeing it snap through the curtain of a stable, or bounce against the stable front or miss the target altogether.

Iclaim:

1. In a toy of the character described, a

straight elongated cylindrical tube approximately two inches in inside diameter and twenty inches in length, means for mounting the tube in inclined position at an angle of approximately 35 to a horizontal plane, and a disc roller adapted for insertion into the upper end of the tube for discharge through the lower end, the disc having a diameter of approximately 1 inches, a thickness of approximately A; of an inch, and being of relatively light weight operable to cause the disc to yield to air resistance and friction for normally tumbling and gravitating into rolling position while passing through the tube regardless of the manner of insertion.

2. In a toy of the character described, a straight elongated cylindrical tube approximately 2 inches in inside diameter and 20 inches in length, means for mounting the tube in inclined position at an angle of approximately 35 to a horizontal plane, and a disc roller adapted for insertion into the upper end of the tube for discharge through the lower end, the disc being operable by reason of its diameter, thickness and weight, to yield to air resistance and friction for normally tumbling and *gravitating into rolling position while passing through the tube regardless of the manner of insertion.

.3. In a toy of the character described, a straight elongated cylindrical tube having a length approximately 10 times its diameter, means for mounting the tube in inclined position at an angle of approximately 35 to a horizontal plane, and a disc roller adapted for insertion into the upper end -of the tube for discharge through the lower end, the disc being operable by reason of its diameter thickness and weight, to yield to air resistance and friction .for normally tumbling and gravitating into rolling position while passing through the tube regardless of the manner of insertion.

FRANCES J. SULLIVAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

